Comfort=soundness

Its always interesting to watch the rehab horses as they mooch round the track with our horses.   Our guys go where they please - they aren't bothered about which surfaces they are moving over, and if its quicker to go over shillet to get somewhere they will do so very happily.  

It makes no difference to their movement whether they are on deep pea gravel or flint - they still land correctly and have long, even strides. 

By contrast the rehabs will avoid the tougher surfaces, at least in the early days, and find routes to places that allow them to stay on comfortable ground.  

As long as they do that, they are sound, but if we forced them to go over hard, stony ground they would shorten up, become unlevel and land badly.  

For me, it proves how essential it is for a horse to be comfortable in order for it to move soundly, and how rehab is all about expanding that comfort zone until it extends not just to good surfaces but to tough ones as well.